Integrated automated test case generation for safety-critical software

Abstract

According to some embodiments, system comprises a communication device operative to communicate with a user to obtain one or more requirements associated with a model for a test case generation module; a translation computer module to receive the model, store the model and generate an intermediate model; a generator computer module to receive the intermediate model, store the intermediate model, generate at least one test case; a memory for storing program instructions; at least one test case generation platform processor, coupled to the memory, and in communication with the translation computer module and the generator computer module, operative to execute program instructions to: transform the model into an intermediate model by executing the translation computer module; identify a model type associated with the intermediate model based on an analysis of the intermediate model by executing the generator computer module; select a test generation method based on analysis of the identified model type by executing the generator computer module; generate at least one test case for use in software validation and verification. Numerous other aspects are provided.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a communication device operative to communicate with a user to obtain one or more requirements associated with a model for a test case generation module; 
 a translation computer module to receive the model, store the model and generate an intermediate model; 
 a generator computer module to receive the intermediate model, store the intermediate model, generate at least one test case; 
 a memory for storing program instructions; 
 at least one test case generation platform processor, coupled to the memory, and in communication with the translation computer module and the generator computer module, operative to execute program instructions to:
 transform the model into an intermediate model by executing the translation computer module; 
 identify a model type associated with the intermediate model based on an analysis of a type of computation in a computation path extracted from the intermediate model by executing the generator computer module; 
 select a test generation method based on analysis of the identified model type by executing the generator computer module; 
 generate at least one test case for use in software validation and verification, 
 
 wherein the intermediate model is reduced to include only a portion of the intermediate model associated with a sub-graph that identifies only elements affecting a test objective; 
 wherein the intermediate model preserves one or more behaviors per an associated sampling time from the model; 
 wherein the translation computer module maps one or more computation sequences of the at least one model to one or more computation paths in the intermediate model; 
 wherein the system further comprises a converter module operative to convert one or more test criteria to one or more test objectives, wherein each test objective is associated with a test objective path; 
 wherein the one or more test objectives are attached to the intermediate model; and 
 wherein the computation paths describe model behaviors and the test objectives paths describe test objectives. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the model is one of a specification model and a design model. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein each requirement includes one or more input variables and one or more output variables. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3  wherein the at least one generated test case includes a description of the requirement, a set of input variables, and a set of expected output, wherein the set of expected output is based on the one or more output variables. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the model type is identified from a plurality of model types, wherein the plurality of model types includes a symbolic variable model type, a real number model type, a nonlinear arithmetic model type and a feedback loop model type. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1  wherein the generator computer module is operative to generate a table including one or more path constraints and one or more data based on the computation paths and the test objective paths. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1  wherein the generator computer module is operative to select one of a model-checking module, a constraint-solving module and a reachability resolution module to apply to the intermediate model to generate test cases based on the computation type. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1  wherein the sub-graph is a multiple entry sub-graph. 
     
     
       9. A method comprising:
 receiving one or more requirements associated with a model for test case generation; 
 transforming the model into an intermediate model by execution of a translation computer module; 
 identifying a model type associated with the intermediate model based on an analysis of a type of computation in a computation path extracted from the intermediate model by execution of a generator computer module; 
 selecting a test generation method based on the identified model type by execution of the generator computer module; 
 generating at least one test case for use in software validation and verification, 
 wherein the intermediate model is reduced to include only a portion of the intermediate model associated with a sub-graph that identifies only elements affecting a test objective; 
 wherein the intermediate model preserves one or more behaviors per an associated sampling time from the model; 
 wherein the translation computer module maps one or more computation sequences of the at least one model to one or more computation paths in the intermediate model; 
 wherein the method further comprising converting one or more test criteria to one or more test objectives, wherein each test objective is associated with a test objective path; 
 wherein the one or more test objectives are attached to the intermediate model; and 
 wherein the computation paths describe model behaviors and the test objectives paths describe test objectives. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the model type is at least one of a symbolic variable model type, a real number model type, a nonlinear arithmetic model type and a feedback loop model type. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein the model is one of a specification model and a design model. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  further comprising:
 selecting one of a model-checking module, a constraint-solving module and a reachability resolution module to apply to the intermediate model to generate test cases based on the computation type. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 9  wherein selecting the test generation method comprises:
 determining whether there is an unsupported arithmetic in the computation path that none of a model-checking module, a constraint-solving module, or a reachability resolution module can support; 
 if there is no unsupported arithmetic in the computation path then determining whether there is a non-linear arithmetic or real numbers in the computation path; 
 selecting model-checking method for the test generation method if there is no non-linear arithmetic or real numbers in the computation path; 
 if there is non-linear arithmetic or real numbers in the computation path then determining whether there are unsupported difference equations in the computation path; and 
 selecting constant-solving method for the test generation method if there are unsupported difference equations in the computation path else selecting reachability resolution method for the test generation method.